Turned into what!
by The Third Biker Scholar
Summary: Karbunkle creates a ray gun that turns our beloved bikers into ordinary Earth mice! With no bikes, no weapons, and a missing Charley, how can they get out of this one?
1. Chapter 1

Karbunkle creates a ray gun that turns our beloved bikers into ordinary Earth mice! With no bikes, no weapons, and a missing Charley, how can they get out of this one?

Disclaimer: I don't own BMFM, sadly.

Chapter 1: Changes

Modo tapped the side of his helmet, trying to fix any possible damage that might have occured. "I don't get it," he said to his bros, "our radios work fine to each other, but I can't get Charley-ma'am. You don't think something's happened to her?"

"Aw, c'mon, she's probably rolled under a car and can't hear the beep," Vinnie said. The way his tail was nervously twitching belied his casual tone. "Soon as we get these bank robbers taken care of, we'll go check on her, right Throttle?"

The tan mouse nodded. "Right. But first things first. Look sharp and stay low. Chances are those scumbags have hostages." The mice were responding to a early morning call sent out by Sweet Georgie Brown about a bank heist in progress. Since they had to skip breakfast, Vinnie had tried calling Charley to ask if they could come by later for some chow. But there hadn't been any answer for the last ten minutes.

They rolled up to the building, smoke pouring out a large hole in the wall where Limburger's goons had crashed through. "A'ight youse peoples, just hand overs the loot and only one of ya's gets hurt."

"Greasepit," Modo muttered. "I'm really begining to hate that guy."

"Easy bro," Throttle said. "Helmet Run number 4. Lets rock and ride!"

They rushed through the wall, the bikes shooting any debris out of the way. Several people huddled to one side of the wall, and as the mice walked in, most of the hostages looked glad to see them. The frightened tellers were just starting to hand over the bags of money, but on seeing the three bikers, one girl twisted around and swung the bag with all her might at the criminal's head, knocking him out cold. She then jumped down under the counter, dragging the other girl along with her. "Don't worry, the bikers are here," she said to her friend. "Everything will be okay now."

"You know, I thought they were just some urban legend," the other girl said as the sound of laser fire rang out. "But seeing them now," she leaned up on her knees to get a quick peek of the action, quickly squatting back down as a large crash rocked the building, "you know they can't be human."

"I told you," her friend replied smugly. "And I agree with Kathy from accounting, the white one's hot, I don't care what species he is!"

"Amen, sister," the other girl replied gleefully, "but give me that tan one any day." Both women swooned like schoolgirls over the thought.

Throttle held up one goon to pitch out the wall. "Is it me, or does this seem a little too easy?"

Modo sent three more out with one arm. "Yeah, where's the villain saying stupid stuff? I almost miss it."

"Who cares?" Vinnie said, gleefully tossing another goon into a wall. "I just want this over with so we can get some grub, I'm starving!"

A sudden blast from a ray gun made the mice duck for cover. "Youse mices ain't won yet," Greasepit said as he fired a huge laser cannon all over the room. He got in the luckiest shot of his life, and actually managed to hit Modo's leg. the grey mouse jerked badly in response, but couldn't cry out as a brilliant flash of light nearly blinded everyone in the room. When the spots cleared from their eyes, the bikers couldn't see their bro. Anywhere.

"Modo!" Vinnie shouted, scanning the room wildly. "Bro where are you?"

"He's right here's," Greasepit said giddily as he held up what appeared to be an unconscious normal Earth mouse. Closer inspection would have shown that his right eye was patched, and his right front paw and leg were made of metal. And two very tiny antennae on his head. The head goon shoved the mouse into a small cage on his belt. "And youse about to join him real soon!"

"What did you do to him?" Vinnie said in horror. Horror quickly turned to fury, "You bastard!"

"Vinnie no!" Throttle shouted.

Too late, the white mouse was already charging, aiming to snatch the cage from the villain. Greasepit fired wildly to slow the Martian down, but Vinnie just dodged, his quicker speed and agility clearing him of every shot. Vinnie couldn't help his mocking grin, "That's the sorriest shooting I've ever seen! You couldn't hit the broad side of a barn"--

Except the one shot that bounced off the security mirror on the ceiling, shooting the ray straight at the back of the white Martian's head. The brilliant light flared again, and a small white mouse with metal on the side of its face was left out cold on the floor.

Throttle started firing his laser pistol, trying to drive Greasepit away so that he could get at least one bro back. The villain fell back, nearly shooting himself as he fell on his rear in the muck he oozed out. The tan mouse scooped up the tiny mouse, whistling to call the bikes to blast him out of there. But there was one problem with that.

Dozens more of Limburger's henchmen swarmed the building, too many for Throttle to take on and still protect his bro. They rushed him, bearing him down to the ground with kicks and punches as he curled around the white mouse in his hands. The bikes outside beeped and screeched as they were chased by dunebuggies, keeping them away from their riders.

Greasepit got back to his feet as the thugs pulled a nearly blacked-out Throttle from the floor, his hand still holding his bro protectively. The goon hefted the ray gun proudly. "Da boss'll be so proud. Three lil' mousies in one lil' cage. Life's good." He fired the gun, and when the light faded, a tan mouse with what looked like tiny little glasses perched on his muzzle lay next to the white mouse, twitching in unconsciousness.

&

Throttle groaned as he blearily opened his eyes. He blinked hard to try and clear his sight, reaching up to adjust his shades. The sight of a tiny paw made him jerk back. _What the--_

The sound of his own confused squeak brought back the memory of the fight at the bank. He looked over his new body. Just like a regular Earth mouse except for his antennae, but somehow his shades and bionic eyes had made the change with him. But none of his clothes had, how weird. And apparently his voice was gone too. _I can't talk?_ he tried, but got nothing but squeaks and chirps. _Nope. Guess I don't have the necesary parts to do it in this form._

He glanced around, seeing that he was in a large veternary cage with a thick lock on the gate. He then nearly started squeaking in joy as he spotted his bros and raced over to the other mice on the side of the cage. _Bros! You guys alright?_

The grey mouse stirred, soft chirps slurring a bit before getting clearer. _Wha...What's goin' on?_ He tried to focus and nearly got the shock of his life as he saw his new form. _What in the name of Mars is goin' on?!_

Throttle tried to get his friend to listen to him, but by the confused look on his face knew that he couldnt' understand. The tan mouse growled to himself. He couldn't understand his bro either. How were they supposed to get out of here if they couldn't communicate enough to work together? He steeled himself a moment before pouncing, pinning the stunned grey mouse long enough for their antennae to touch.

Modo nearly threw him across the cage, so completely rattled by his friend's actions that he actually swore. _What in the hell are you doin'?!_

The white mouse jerked awake at the noise, took in the situation, and started shying away from the two obviously crazy Earth mice.

_I had to connect us somehow,_ came Throttle's dazed response. He managed to get back to his paws, his balance not quite all there. _Unless you figured on gettin' a lot better at charades._

Modo panted a bit in anger before he calmed down. _I know ya had to do it, but I still don't like it. Mindwalker or no, you're supposed to give a guy some warning before ya do somethin' like that._

A Mindwalker was unique amoung Marian Mice, capable of connecting not only to their clan members, but to other mice as well. They could forge links for telepathy or mental blocks to portect secrets or memories. Most were used in court, to help learn the truth of different crimes. But during the war, their skills had gone to interrogation, spying, and interpertation. So many of them had been killed throughout the conflict, that some Martians now feared they would die out. That was one of the reasons Throttle had two of the best fighters the Martian resistance had to offer with him. To his eternal embarassment, they were sort of his 'guards.'

_Sorry,_ Throttle said, rubbing his now bruised ear. He glanced over at the small white mouse that seemed to be trying to blend into the background. _He's not gonna like this._

_Can ya blame him?_ Modo said. _After what Karbunkle tried to do to him, I'll be surprised if he even lets you close enough to try._

_You gonna help?_

_Yeah, if nothin' else to help calm him down after it,_ the grey mouse said. The two mice began to slowly walk toward Vinnie, trying to look as non-threatening as possible. The white mouse crept backwards until his back met the cage wall, his body tensing to either attack or run. A breif fight ensued, the tan mouse eventually making enough of a contact with his antennae to establish the connection. Then both grey and tan mice had to hold onto their bro for all they were worth as he nearly went crazy in surpressed memories of trauma and pain from Karbunkle's lab. When he finally calmed down, he smacked his tail across the back of Throttle's head. His mental voice rang with deadly sincerity as he bit out, _You suck._

_I'm sorry bro,_ the tan mouse said, regret coloring his voice. _But we have to work together to get out of here, and we can't do that if we can't understand each other._

_Doesn't matter. You suck,_ Vinnie growled as he slowly got to his paws. He stared at Modo's arm and quickly brought a hand up to his face and felt his mask still in place. _What? How did this stuff stick and not our clothes?_

_No idea,_ Modo said. _Maybe because they're stuck to us, not just hanging on like clothes?_

_Who knows?_ Throttle said. He headed for the cage door. _For now, we need to figure out the basics. Who?_

_Limburger,_ said Vinnie.

Throttle nodded at the obvious, _Now for the 'what?'_

_We've been turned into Earth mice, at least, I think that's what they had in mind,_ said Modo. _Don't think it worked right._

_Thank the gods,_ Throttle muttered. _So, How?_

_Not a clue,_ Vinnie said sourly. _I had no idea there was tech like that anywhere in the universe._

_Probably some kind of DNA scrambler,_ Throttle said. _But an instantaneous one. Now all that leaves it is the where._

_Take a wild guess,_ Modo said as a huge turnip shaped head came into veiw. "Awake, are you, my new little lab mice?"

&

Karbunkle chuckled gleefully to himself as he polished the muzzle of his ray gun. His newest invention couldn't have worked out more perfectly. The transmogrifying ray could turn any living creature into another living creature, no matter what their original DNA structure. He'd already turned Fred the Mutant into a tree and back to his...er, normal self four times without any damage to the initial DNA integrity.

And now the first test run on Martians was a blazing success. Those bothersome mice were now just that, mice. Little, defenseless, Earth mice. Soon, the Plutarkians would pay beyond his wildest dreams for the technology that could reduce any living opposition to mere insects, literally. No more shelling out money to buy land or resources when they could just transmogrify an entire planet's population. The scientist sighed dreamily to himself. Life was good.

Several squeaks and rattling from the cage made him come over to see what the commotion was. "Awake, are you, my little lab mice?" he wheezed. The squeaking went silent as he lifted the cage to see them better. "Aww. I would say, how cute, but I'm looking forward to dissecting you too much to have such sentiments." He grinned as the three mice shrank back a bit from the cage door.

A beeping on his computer made the mad scientist turn, setting the cage down. He clicked on the incoming message to see his employer's fishy visage. "Karbunkle."

"Yes, your cheesiness," he said.

"You're not trying any other experiments on our malforned mice, now are you?"

"Not yet sire, but if you want to watch later on"--

"No, no, I don't want you to do anything to them, not a single thing, not just yet."

The scientist was so stunned that he rudely blurted out, "Why not?"

The Plutarkian just smiled, lifting up a cage of his own. "Did you forget our other new little pet? I think we should arrange a play date for them, don't you?"

Karbunkle found a smile at that idea. "Yes, indeed, your cruelness. A brilliant idea." he turned that evil grin on the mice as the comm clicked off. "You boys will love what we've got in mind for you next. A shame I won't get to dissect you myself, but I think I can make do with what your new friend will leave behind."

A moment later, Limburger strode into the room, a quivering cage in his hand. Karbunkle reached over, lifting the mice's cage and carrying it over to a large plexiglass box, dumping them out with a hard shake.

They landed in a heap, slowly untangling themselves as they looked around. _Anybody see a way out?_ Throttle asked, scanning the box.

_Nope,_ Modo said. He tried punching his metal paw through the surface to get some grip so he could climb up, to no avail. He even tried his laser cannon, and got nothing. _Sorry, bros. My cannon's shrunk too much, I can't even get a decent charge out of it._

_Not your fault,_ Vinnie said. _But just let me get close enough to that rotting fish, I'll bite his hand off._ All three were dilberately ignoring Limburger's long winded schpiel about how he'd finally won, they were doomed, the usual blah, blah, blah. It was when they heard the hissing, growling, and snarling coming from the cage he carried that they suddenly paid attention.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I'm grateful to you. This story was my first serious Biker Mice fic, albeit, not the first I ever posted.

Disclaimer: I don't own BMFM, sadly.

Chapter 2: the taste of mice

The hissing grew louder the closer the cage got to the clear box. Through the bars, one could make out green slit-eyes and gleaming sharp white teeth. The creature lunged against the cage's sides, fighting to get out. The scuffle revealed thick brown fur, pointed ears, a long tail, long whiskers-

_Oh my god,_ Throttle said in disbelieving horror. _It's a cat. The son of a bitch brought a cat._ His mind whirled, frantically trying to come up with a plan. They had nothing; no weapons, no bikes, nothing to fight with. Just tiny claws and teeth that would barely make a dent in that thick coat.

Vinnie gulped audibly as a paw edged with deadly claws slashed out. _Bros, just so you know, you guys are my best friends, and even if you aren't by blood, you are my family as far as I'm concerned._

_Same here, brother,_ Modo said softly, not taking his one eye from the cage hovering above them. _Never thought it would end like this._

_We're not done yet,_ Throttle said fiercely. When he'd first made Modo and Vinnie his friends, he had promised himself that he would never give up, no matter what those stinking fish threw at him, as long as his brothers were alive. They were all he had. _If we can distract it long enough, I'll try to Mindwalk with it._

_You sure about that?_ Vinnie asked worriedly. Animal mindwalks were notoriously difficult, sometimes even subsuming the walker in the instincts the animal couldn't control.

_No, but we got any other options?_ Throttle said as Limburger reached to open the cage door. _On my mark, flank both sides while I charge._ The other mice nodded grimly, gearing up for what may be their last fight. _We're with you bro,_ Modo said.

_To the end,_ Vincent said, moving to stand beside his brother.

&

Limburger basked in his moment of glory. Finally, finally, those bothersome mice would be dead, and the last little hitch in his plans for the destruction of Chicago would be gone. No one would be left to oppose him. He looked fondly at the rocking cage in his hands. "Now, now, don't be so eager," he admonished the feline. "Take your time hunting them down, I want to enjoy this show for as long as you can drag it out. That's right," he leaned over the box, "these Earth felines like to play with their food. Sometimes for hours."

"The camera is ready and rolling," Karbunkle said, patting the device. "This film will go for thousands on the Plutarkian market."

"Indeed, a movie for the ages," Limburger said as he reached to open the cage door. "And our frenzied furry actor will take center stage. Let the hunt begin." The cat snarled and hissed as the door swung wide, springing out from the small cage to the box below. It landed behind the three mice, spun around, and lunged for the Plutarkian's face. The fish fought to peel the enraged cat off him, Karbunkle scrambling to help.

Vinnie couldn't help his loud squeaks of laughter. Modo and Throttle stared at him incredulously. _What?_ The white mouse wheezed. _You can't look at that and tell me it's not funny!_

_Only you, Vincent,_ Throttle said shaking his head.

"Confound you, you flea-bitten feline! Karbunkle! What is the meaning of this?!" The Plutarkian shouted after the cat was none-too-gently ripped off his face by Fred the Mutant. Fred was now screaming in ecstasy as the cat started slashing at him while he carried it back to the box.

Karbunkle looked rather reluctant to speak. "Um, well, your over-ripeness, it appears that your odiferous odor had attracted the feline's hunting instincts."

"Hunting instincts?"

"Cats like to eat fish," the scientist said somewhat sheepishly. "I suggest we leave the room, so as not to distract the feline. We'll still have it all on film."

"So be it," the alien huffed. "But this had better be a blood bath, or I'll have that cat skinned!" He stomped out of the room to get a new mask, followed by the scientist. Fred shoved the hissing cat back into the clear plastic box, slamming the heavy lid down. "It was lots of fun, we'll do this again soon," he said cheerfully. The fat creature hurried to follow after its master, accidentally knocking the camera off its angle.

&

The mice tensed as the animal recovered from its rough handling. The small cat got back to its feet, examining one paw at a time. It flexed its claws out, scraping any remnants of the Plutarkian's blood off onto the box's side. Wide green eyes then turned to examine its surroundings, landing on the transformed mice.

_This is it,_ Throttle said. _Get ready, this thing's proved its fast and nasty._

_Very nasty,_ Modo said.

_Just hope its not hungry,_ Vinnie said as he shifted positions. The cat tracked their movements, its tail beginning to twitch. It then surprised them, lying down gracefully on its paws and dropping its head down. It just looked at them, making no other aggressive moves. It even made a soft chirping sound, as if encouraging them to think it meant no harm.

_Never seen a cat do that before,_ Modo said. He slowly began to approach it.

_What are you doing?_ Throttle said.

_Checking something,_ Modo said. _If it's got a collar, maybe it's got an owner._

_What difference does that make?_ Vinnie said. _Cats eat mice with or without an owner._

_If its domesticated, maybe its trained to not attack other animals,_ the grey mouse argued. He crept closer, ready to dodge a deadly swipe any minute. Hesitantly he reached out his metal paw and stroked the dark brown fur. The cat began to purr low in its chest, leaning into his touch. He found himself smiling, scratching it under its chin and jaw. _Aw, you're a good kitty, aren't you? Good kitty,_ he crooned. _C'mon guys, he's friendly._

_Maybe to you,_ Vinnie said nervously.

_What, are you chicken?_

_Who you callin' chicken?!_ The white mouse came over, followed by an exasperated Throttle. _Both of you are insane,_ the leader chided. _This thing could just be playing with us, waiting until we think we're safe and then attack._

Modo dug his paws deeper into the soft fur, making the cat purr even louder. _This little guy? Naw, he's a good cat, see?_

Vinnie started petting the feline as well, making the cat arch toward him. _You know, he's not so bad._

Throttle started petting as well, starting on the shoulder and under the neck. _Doesn't smell like a stray, but there's no mark for a collar. Maybe from the pound?_

_Awfully social conscious of Fish-face,_ Vinnie said. He glanced over at his bro. _Still want to Mindwalk him?_

Throttle thought a minute. Bigger, stronger, and proven to have a hate on for Plutarkians. But still dangerous, even for the trained Mindwalker to try. _Useful as he'd be, I'd rather not do it if I don't have to_-

Suddenly the cat stood up, the mice scrambling to put some distance between it and them. It ignored their actions and paced the edges of the box, staring at the seams and cracks of the container. When it reached the lid's handle, the cat sat down, staring up at it as if studying. It began to push up the lid with its paws. When that failed, it started pushing with its head, barely able to lift it out of its groove. The cat hissed and repositioned itself, going up on its hind legs and pushing hard with its head. The lid finally lifted enough so that if it squeezed a bit, the cat could escape. Yet it sat back down on its haunches, an almost considering look on its face.

_What is he up to?_ Modo asked.

_Don't know,_ Vinnie replied. _He could get out if he wanted to, what's stopping hi-AAHHHH!!_ The cat had suddenly pounced, grabbing the white mouse in its jaws and racing back over to the lid. The other two immediately followed, Modo and Throttle both grabbing the cat's tail and trying to pull it to a stop. But the cat would have none of it and kept going, until it reached the latch and began to push up.

Vinnie proved he would die a smart-ass as he shouted, _I take back every nice thing I said about you, you damn cat!_

The feline got the lid high enough to escape once more, leaned forward--and almost gingerly let go of Vinnie, dropping him outside the box. The white mouse landed with a sharp yell, most of the wind knocked out of him by the impact. They could see him through the clear plastic, wincing at the landing.

_Vinnie!_ Modo cried.

_Talk to us, bro, c'mon!_ Throttle shouted.

_Winded, not dead,_ Vinnie groaned. _And not deaf either, so lighten up on the volume button._

_You okay?_

_Might had twisted my ankle-er, paw? Whatever._ He turned to glare at the cat. _What in the hell were you thinking? You almost killed me! Of all the nerve, I thought you were trying to eat me! I can't believe I said you weren't that bad._

Throttle stared at the cat that was now staring at his grey furred bro. _Oh hell._ Its tail twitched. _Modo, hold still!_

The cyborg cocked his head in confusion at his friend. _What for?_

_You're about to have a bumpy ride._

_Wha--WHOA!_ The cat had snatched him up, repeating its actions from before. Modo, actually knowing what was going on, landed much better than his younger bro. _Gah_! He rubbed a spot on his bruised tail, _Well that was fun._

Throttle just looked at the green eyed cat that was now looking at him expectantly. _Yeah, yeah, I'm ready, lets--GOAHHH!!_ Even if you were prepared for it, having sharp jaws clamp onto the back of your neck is still scary as hell. The jump went well, but the cat's tail got caught as it tried to clear the lid. The tan mouse nearly went deaf as the feline screeched around him. Two sharp tugs got it free of the box and the cat set him down on the ground, whimpering as it examined its slightly bent tail.

&


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own BMFM, sadly.

Chapter 3

Throttle gingerly rubbed his aching head, trying to recover from the caterwaul that had been unleashed right in his ear. Vinnie came over to him, limping slightly on one paw. _You okay, bro?_

_I have a pounding in my head like a ticked off Froc jumper,_ the tan mouse said. _Other than that, I'm fine._

The white mouse turned his attention back to the cat, where Modo was examining the slightly kinked tail. _How's our boy?_

Modo looked up from the furry tail. _Well, first off, the poor thing's lucky the lid didn't break the bone, just bruised it pretty deep. And secondly, this cat isn't a boy._ He blushed at his own words and the cat seemed to mimic the gesture, to their complete surprise.

_And I'm beginning to think this cat isn't a cat,_ Throttle said thoughtfully. He stepped up to the feline, motioning it to duck its head. She complied, lowering it to the mouse's reach. _She's way too smart to be just a cat._

_You think she was changed too?_ Vinnie asked.

_No doubt,_ the tan Martian said. He looked the cat over again. Brown fur with just the barest hint of red, deep green eyes, incredible intelligence. His eyes widened in sudden thought. Earlier that day, they hadn't been able to get a hold of--_Charley? Oh gods, its Charley,_ he said in horror. It made too much sense. She had rescued them from the cage, had attacked Limburger, hadn't tried to eat them like a normal cat would.

_Charley-girl?!_ Modo said in shock. _He changed Charley into a cat?!_

_So she would __**eat**__ us?!_ Vinnie said in horrified disgust. _Oh that is just so Fish-lips style. One friend kills all the others._

The tan mouse moved so that he was in range to Mindwalk. _Don't worry, Charley-girl, we'll understand you in a minute._ His antennae glowed as it touched her head, and the familiar rush of memories, thoughts, and emotions ran through both minds. The link was made easily as she had already been touched by Martian mind abilities. _Throttle?_

_Hey, Charley-girl,_ the tan mouse said softly.

_I can understand you! Oh thank god!_ she said ecstatically. _What in the hell is going on?! I was in the garage working on Manuelo's truck when all of a sudden I'm furry like this. I never even saw them coming._

_We think Karbunkle invented a DNA scrambler thingy,_ Vinnie said, coming over to stand beside her. He twitched his whiskers at her, _I always knew you were a little kinky._

She growled at him, _If this is a comment about my tail_--

_Oh no, babe, but you got to admit, its a little suspicious just how eager you were to put your mouth on me._

Both mice and cat stared at him in shock before Charley recovered. The mechanic-turned-cat bared her white teeth at the mouse and hissed full out, making him instantly shrink back. _And for your information, you taste terrible,_ she snarled.

A sudden noise had them all turn towards the door, freezing in place. _We need to get out of here and find that ray gun,_ Throttle said. _Charley, mind us hitchin' a ride?_

She laid down so they coudl all climb on. _No problem, but Vinnie, one more little comment like that and I'll go see if there are any real cats around._ The white mouse gulped in fright, knowing he had gone just a hair too far, and wisely kept his mouth shut. The mice held on tight to her fur, bracing themselves for travel. She went slow so they could adjust to her pace as she crept towards the door.

The noise came again, the sound of voices ringing clear. "You miserable mutant, you moved the camera away from the box! Now we didn't get to watch them being eaten." Karbunkle growled as he came towards the door. "Well, lets see if we can't--What the--?! Catch that cat!!!"

As soon as the door had opened, the cat streaked out, running full out down the hall. The mice held onto the thick brown fur for dear life as she raced down the hallway. Karbunkle followed, Fred the Mutant chasing her with a cage in hand. She dove under couches and chairs as she ran, knocking over trash cans to slow down the pursuers.

_Take the stairs!_ Throttle called. _If we can get to the basement, we can get to the furnace._

Charley's head reared back in shock as she ran. _The what?!_

_What the hell do we want with the furnace?!_ Vinnie asked incredulously.

_This is no time for bar-be-que, bro!_ Modo exclaimed.

_Not that! The ventilation systems,_ the tan mouse explained. _They've probably figured out that we're just as smart in these forms as our real ones. After that little break out, they'll be watching the doors and windows to the lab. But chances are pretty good that they won't even think about the ventilation ducts._

_Alright then,_ Charley said, _hold on tight!_ She charged a large set of heavy double doors that one of the goons had opened to the stairwell. The man whirled, trying to slam the door shut, but just barely missed her. The tip of her tail was badly pinched, making her yowl in pain as she jumped halfway down the first flight of stairs. _I swear to god, I'm never making fun of you three when your tails are hurt ever again,_ she whimpered.

The doors burst open, several goons coming out with laser pistols firing. Vinnie yanked his tail back before it could get singed from a close shot. _Is it me, or is their aim getting better?_

_Its not you--whoa, Momma!!_ Modo shouted as he grabbed hold of Throttle's tail when the tan mouse lost his hold. _Thanks. _

_No prob,_ the grey mouse replied. Charley bounced up from the stairs and off the side wall of the stairwell as another thug popped out from the 22nd floor. She dodged a close blast from his gun, several whiskers smoking. _I'm really missing your bikes right about now! _

_This is taking too long,_ Vinnie said privately to his bros. _At this rate, Charley's gonna get shot. _

_Well, is there any other way into the system?_ Throttle asked.

_Maybe the filters,_ Modo said.

_What filters? _

_For the smell. You know, Limburger's smell. When I was spying on him, last year, I met a maintenance guy who said that they had to replace the filters all over the building all the time because of the stink,_ the grey mouse explained. _If any of those are opened, we can get in. _

_How often is all the time?_ Throttle asked, his grip tightening as Charley careened around another tight curve.

_At least one gets replaced everyday,_ the grey mouse said, lifting his mech arm in reflex before he shouted in frustration. _I wish I could shoot somebody!!_

_I wish had my bike!_ Vinnie snapped. _Me and my girl would teach those lousy bog-dogs how to shoot. _

_I wish I was sure about this,_ Throttle muttered. _Charley-girl, cut out through a door and look for one of the janitors!_

_I hope you know what you're doing,_ she panted, racing out from under a shooter's legs and down another hallway. She past several doors before they spotted a janitor and luck smiled on them. He had just opened up a vent to replace a filter. One of the thugs fired a few shots down the hall, blindly trying to hit the cat. The janitor ducked under a small table for protection and Charley ran into the vent. She made it around a corner, staggering as the adrenaline left her before she collapsed.

_Charley!! _

_Charley-girl, you okay?!_

She gasped for air, her limbs trembling with fatigue. _You know.....I don't think....I'm cut out....to run on all fours._

Modo checked her over, clucking to himself as he saw that one side of her whiskers were half as long as the other side. _She'll be okay, she just needs to rest. _

_Shh!_ Throttle motioned them to be quiet as they heard the janitor hammer in the new filter. The sound of screws being turned in to secure the vent cover made them all wince. And then came the sound of thundering footsteps. The duct shook with the force of them, and voices echoed as the thugs spoke. "You find 'em?"

"No, lost 'em as they came around the corner."

"The boss and turnip-head ain't gonna be happy about this," the first one muttered.

"Keep lookin', that mangy cat can't have gotten far."

The other one snorted in laughter. "You ain't ever owned a cat, have ya?"

_Who's he calling 'mangy'?_ Charley growled.

_Shh, Charley-girl,_ Modo soothed, scratching behind her ear. _He don't know nothin' about mangy._ The mouse's teeth gleamed in the dim light in a snarl. _And he shouldn't talk about a lady like that._

The girl tried to smile at his words, but only ended up baring her teeth. _Have I ever told you how sweet I think you are? _

_Once or twice,_ the grey mouse laughed.

_Any idea where to head to now?_ Vinnie asked.

_Up,_ Throttle said. _As soon as Charley recovers, we need to head back up to the lab. We check it out, look for the right time to bust in, get the ray gun, and get back to normal. _

_And then we make--what'd that guy call him? Turnip-head? We make turnip-head pay for makin' us tiny,_ Vinnie said with gleeful satisfaction. He sniffed the air, making a face. _You guys smell that? _

_We __**are**__ in Limburger's tower,_ Modo pointed out.

_No, not that. The other disgusting smell,_ the white mouse said. _Like, wet fur and drool and-and--I wanna say bad fish but not so rotted. _

_Vinnie, I'm trying to keep my last meal down, okay?_ Charley growled, stretching out as she got back on her paws. She made a disgusted face as she caught the scent. _Ugh, that's just gross. Like locker room B.O. gone rancid. _

_Yep, that's it,_ Modo nodded. _Almost reminds me of someone, but I can't think of who. _

_How do you forget a smell like that?_ Throttle asked, climbing up onto Charley's shoulders.

_Don't know, but I'm sure it'll come to me,_ the grey mouse said with a shrug. As soon as Charley caught her breath, they made their way further into the duct system. As they went, the smell got worse. _I think it's actually worse than Limburger, and I never thought I'd say that,_ Vinnie said, both front paws over his nose to block it out.

_No joke,_ Throttle said, his eyes watering at the reek. _How you holding up, Charley-girl?_

_Trying to breathe as little as possible,_ she said. The cat jumped up to another duct. _What floor are we on now?_

_I think the 42nd,_ Throttle said. _Only a few more to go._

_Thank god. You guys might be little, but you weigh a_- The sudden sound of claws skittering across metal made her jerk around.

_Wahh! Warn a mouse before you go off like that!_ Vinnie complained.

_Shut up,_ she said quietly. The mice went still as she cocked an ear to listen. _Did you guys hear that?_

_I don't hear anything,_ Modo said.

Throttle frowned, his whiskers twitching. _I can hear something moving. Below us._

_What do you think it is?_ Vinnie asked.

_My best guess would be rats,_ Charley said grimly.

_Rats?!_ Modo exclaimed. _No wonder I know that smell!_

_Oh great, that's just what we need,_ Throttle growled.

_Bring 'em on,_ Vinnie said eagerly. _I'd love to whip some tail about now!_

_You're joking, right?_ Charley said incredulously. _Earth rats compared to Earth mice are three times your size and weight. Their teeth are bigger, too. One could fall on you and break all of your ribs!_

Vinnie blinked at her. _So you're saying they'd be a challenge?_

Charley let out a low growl of frustration. _Remind me again why none of us have shot him? _

_He makes great waffles,_ Throttle said with a shrug. _Of course, he blew up the waffle iron twice. _

_And he's good with fixing bikes,_ Modo chimed in. _Er, once he figured out how Earth tech worked._

_I only broke one!_ The white mouse protested.

_My favorite customer's bike,_ Charley nodded, turning her around to bare her teeth at the mouse. _He still hasn't come back, you know._

_I said I was sorry!_

The scraping sound rang out again, louder now. The brown fur on Charley's back stood up, her tail fur bushing out. _How about we just get going?_

_Sounds good to me,_ Throttle said. A rumbling sound made Vinnie and Modo look at him. The tan mouse felt his cheeks redden in embarrassment. _Eh-heh, maybe we could find something to eat first?_

_None of us got any grub for breakfast,_ Modo said.

_I can't believe you three. You really can't wait until you're back to normal to get food?_ Charley asked in exasperation.

_Nope,_ the three chorused.

She sighed. The mysteries of Martian Mice and men would forever remain unsolved. _Let's head out that grate. If it's loose,_ the cat said, nudging it. The screws were loose enough that the mice could reach out and twist them out of socket. The grate opened with a slight screech as they stepped out. Four noses twitched as they scented out the air to try and find some food.

Fifteen minutes later, the four streaked back to the duct. They hurried to pull the grate back on as seven of Limburgers goons thundered down the hall. _You just had to have the whole sandwich,_ Modo scolded Vinnie. _Couldn't just take half, could you? _

_But I'm hungry,_ the white mouse said as they finished putting the last screw in place. He dusted off a spot on the floor with his tail and pulled out his prize, a turkey and mustard sandwich. He bit deep into the thick crust. _Got to hand it to that goon, he makes a good sandwich._ Modo smacked the back of his head, hard. _OWWW!!! What?!_

_You didn't offer some to the lady,_ the grey mouse scolded. _Charley had to carry that thing all the way here and you don't even ask if she's hungry!_

Vinnie blushed in embarrassment. _I'm sorry, babe. Want some?_

Charley rubbed the side of her jaw against Modo's ear in the cat version of a kiss to the cheek, making the mouse blush red. _Thanks, big guy. And yes, actually, I'd really appreciate it if you'd give me a piece of turkey. The bread doesn't sound too good, right now._

_Well you are in the body of a carnivore,_ Throttle said as he helped Vinnie pull out a piece of meat. _It wouldn't sound good._

She ate with some gusto, her white teeth gleaming in bit of light that came through the vent. The three mice stared as the cat ate. _That's almost enough to put a mouse off his feed,_ Modo said, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

_Thanks guys,_ she said sarcastically as she licked a bit of mustard off her muzzle. She waited patiently as the three mice made quick work of the remaining sandwich. They headed out into the duct system a few minutes later. By this time, the stench was almost over-powering. Charley had to stop at almost every vent they came on to try and catch her breath. The mice were in no better shape, their sensitive noses running constantly. _We must be close to Limburger's office,_ Charley said.

_I hope so,_ Modo gagged. _I don't think I can take much more of this._

_You and me both, bro_, Throttle said. _Wait, Charley, go back to that grate! Its the lab!_

As the four got ready to force open the vent, they didn't notice the dozens of gleaming red eyes in the duct behind them......


End file.
